Former Alton coach Bob Rickman taking over EA-WR girls basketball post

WOOD RIVER - Bob Rickman didn't know what he was missing - until he missed it, And now the former Alton High girls basketball coach is returning to the sport with renewed vigor.

Rickman has been named to be head coach of the girls basketball team at East Alton-Wood River. He replaces Joe Sears.

The East Alton-Wood River High School District board approved Rickman's at Tuesday night's meeting.

Rickman coached Alton High's girls basketball team four seasons, from 2013-2017. He continues to be a teacher at Alton. He also added the position of president of the Alton Education Association five years ago. He said that move ultimately reminded him of what he was missing.

"Serving as the Alton Education Association president for the last five years truly reshaped my philosophy on leadership and coaching," Rickman said. "It made me realize what I was missing, and coaching was a big part of that.

"While a friend initially inspired me to consider the position, (EA-WR) athletic director Mark Beatty and superintendent Rob Miller solidified my decision by offering their unwavering commitment and support."

Rickman wasn't completely away from basketball during the interim years, however.

"My last three years were coaching two with Steve Wooley with their (Southwestern) middle school program and one year as varsity assistant," Rickman said. "Our 8th grade team finished second in IESA.

"I've followed (high school) basketball, but at a distance," he said. "One of things I didn't want any coaches at Alton or Southwestern to feel that they had someone looking over their shoulder. I'm really excited to see the success Alton has experience over the last few years. They have great kids that deserved the success they achieved."

Rickman's overall coaching resume is extensive. He was girls head coach at Warrensburg, Missouri in 2012-2013, assistant at St. Louis Incarnate Word Academy in St. Louis from 2009-2012 and helped IWA to two state titles and a second-place state finish. He was head coach at Winfield, Missouri in 2008-2009. He was also an assistant coach for 2005 Tennessee boys state champion Memphis Ridgeway and was boys coach assistant at Memphis Central from 2006-2008.

Rickman's overall record at Alton was 26-80. His first season, the Redbirds went 15-13 overall and 7-7 in the Southwestern Conference and halted a 62-game SWC losing streak in the process.

"It is much like growing a garden, you have to plant the things you want to grow, you have to water it, fertilize it, keep the weeds out, the insects and other animals that might destroy your plants," Rickman said in his letter resigning from the AHS position in 2017.

"You have to check on it frequently, and it is a lot of hard work. If you neglect any of those areas, you may or may not have any production from that garden. Some years it requires more work in one area than another, some years more water, some years more weeding, it constantly changes."

At Alton, Rickman teaches Business and Education Foundations in the Career and Technical Education and Business Department.

"Currently, I plan to continue teaching at Alton while coaching at EA-WR," he said. "I'm entering the final year of my three-year term as a National Education Association director, serving on the NEA Board of Directors as one of seven elected representatives from the state of Illinois.

"While I have not yet decided whether to seek a second three-year term, very little of my NEA responsibilities overlap with the basketball season."

At EA-WR, Rickman inherits a team that went 7-25 last season. He said his goals start with basics.

"Moving forward, our team will dedicate significant time to mastering fundamentals - ball handling, passing, defense and offensive strategy," Rickman said. "I'd like to get our two middle school programs to be more in line with the varsity program to insure long term success.

"I understand they are competing for their school, but we also have to balance short-term and long-term success for athletes. I want to eventually have a youth program for our younger kids and take advantage of the great facilities we have access to for our kids."

EA-WR athletic director Mark Beatty said Rickman checks off all the boxes.

"We had a pretty extensive three- to four-month search," Beatty said. "He's a good fit with great knowledge of the game, his love of basketball, he can relate to high school kids. He's a teacher and the gym is an extension of the classroom. I really like him."

Rickman has already been looking at roster numbers.

"With the last-minute announcement, a few girls are committed to work, or other things which include multiple sports," he said. "We have a couple younger players coming off spring sport injuries, plus we'll be getting in the incoming freshman. Ideally, I feel we can be in the 16 - 18 player range starting the season."

Rickman will be assisted by Justin McPherson, who was an assistant last season and formerly working with the EA-WR boys team for two years and played at CM. Summer practices have drawn around 12 players each session.

The process will be a marathon, not a sprint, Rickman indicated.

"I hope fans, parents and players will not judge us by the team they see this fall or even in November and December," he said. "But the changes they can see come January and February.

"We have a tremendous amount of growth potential, but so do our opponents. Our focus is to compete every night, and if we gave our best, and players can look back with satisfaction that they were the best versions of themselves each and every game."

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